The Washington Nationals got their first World Series win in franchise history on Wednesday, and soon after, the team was invited to the White House to celebrate their victory with President Donald Trump. But according to the Washington Examiner, one player has decided that he won’t be participating in the festivities.
Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle told The Washington Post that he won’t be joining his team at the White House on Monday.
“At the end of the day, as much as I wanted to be there with my teammates and share that experience with my teammates, I can’t do it. I just can’t do it,” Doolittle said.
White House snub
The Nationals star told the Post that his decision stems from disagreements he has with the president that he says go beyond mere policy.
“There’s a lot of things, policies that I disagree with, but at the end of the day, it has more to do with the divisive rhetoric and the enabling of conspiracy theories and widening the divide in this country,” Doolittle said.
“My wife and I stand for inclusion and acceptance, and we’ve done work with refugees, people that come from, you know, the ‘s***hole countries,'” he added, referring to remarks Trump allegedly made about Haiti and some African nations at a January White House meeting, according to NBC News.
The pitcher said that he is also at odds with Trump on social issues. But according to Doolittle, it’s more than just disagreements that prompted his decision.
“I think that’s an important part of ally-ship, and I don’t want to turn my back on them,” Doolittle said. “I have a brother-in-law who has autism, and [Trump] is a guy that mocked a disabled reporter. How would I explain that to him that I hung out with somebody who mocked the way that he talked, or the way that he moves his hands? I can’t get past that stuff.”
Their biggest fan
Doolittle is so far the only member of the D.C.-based team to turn down the White House’s invitation, but outlets like the Washington Examiner have suggested that others may soon follow.
“Other teams and players have opted not to attend planned White House events,” according to CNBC, and baseball fans showed their disapproval of Trump at the fifth game of the seven-game world series, where the president and his wife Melania, who were both in attendance, faced boos from the crowd and chants of “Lock him up!”
Still, it looks like those chants won’t stop the majority of the winning baseball players from celebrating their victory alongside one of their most visible fans.
Congratulations to the Washington Nationals on a great season and an incredible World Series. Game 7 was amazing! @Nationals
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2019
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